Presentence investigative reports (PSI) are presented to a judge, often by a probation officer, to give the facts surrounding the case and make sentence recommendations. There is a standard format for PSI reports (double-spaced with numbered lines in the left margin). The facts presented should include: information about all parties involved in a case, the official and defendant 's version of events, the impact of the incident on the victim, the detailed criminal and social background of the defendant, and a statement concerning evaluation and sentence recommendations from the probation officer.

As with any official document, PSI reports should be held to high standards of writing and grammar. These reports are to be given to a judge for